Photo Gallery
James Lidster (JL) & Stephen Menzie (SM)
Our tour starts in the High Atlas, where we may be birding in snowy conditions. (SM)
Specialities here include Atlas Crimson-winged Finch… (JL)
…and Seebohm’s Wheatear, both North African endemics. (SM)
Further down the valley we’ll search for Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker… (SM)
…amongst stunning scenery. (SM)
Other North African endemics to be seen include the stunning Moussier’s Redstart… (SM)
…Atlas Chaffinch… (JL)
…and North African Blue Tit. (JL)
Travelling south, we’ll stop to admire the peculiar “monkey fingers” rock formation in Dades Gorge… (SM)
…where we might also see the beautiful Barbary Partridge… (SM)
…while the views from our nearby hotel are pretty spectacular. This balcony view comes with a “photobombing” House Bunting! (SM)
We’ll spend some time studying the larks, with Thekla’s, Crested and this Maghreb Lark all available. (SM)
We’ll travel to the Sahara desert, where the scenery couldn’t be more different from the High Atlas. (SM)
Here we’ll search for Desert Sparrows… (SM)
…Egyptian Nightjars… (SM)
…Hoopoe Larks… (JL)
…Lanner Falcons… (SM)
…and, if we’re lucky, Pharaoh Eagle Owl. (SM)
White-crowned Wheatears can be found breeding around our hotel… (SM)
…and Desert Wheatear is common… (SM)
…but the semi-nomadic Maghreb Wheatear will take more searching. (SM)
Migrants may include European Bee-eaters… (JL)
…and sometimes they’re joined by Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters. (SM)
Lunch usually consists of a traditional Moroccan tagine – this one is chicken, olive & preserved lemon. (JL)
Passing through the Argan forests, with their famous arboreal goats… (JL)
…we’ll head to the coast, where Yellow-legged Gull is an easy addition to the trip list on the hotel swimming pool! (JL)
Exploring the coast, we’ll search for birds such as Moroccan White Wagtail… (SM)
…and the internationally endangered Northern Bald Ibis. (SM)
Other wildlife sometimes included Spur-thighed Tortoise… (SM)
…and the peculiar Common Gundy. (SM)
We’ll also make several cultural stops, such as a trip to the Souk to buy some fresh dates… (SM)
…or a chance to haggle for some local pottery or rugs. (SM)